How to Train Your Viking
by silverwaves0210
Summary: Hiccup trained Toothless how to fly again... Now Toothless has to train Hiccup how to walk again.


_Author's Note: Woah, when was the last time I've been on here? Like, two years ago? Well, I've recently gotten myself into the How to Train Your Dragon fandom... since April 20, actually, when I first saw it. Then I got the DVD the day it came out and by god I've already watched it six times. This may be even scarier than my Avatar obsession, folks. You have been warned._

_This idea came out quite prominently in my mind from the moment the movie ended. I have a deviation on deviantART based on it as well, where the relationship between Toothless and Hiccup is very dependent. What I find very endearing is that at the end, they both match because they both lost a tail fin for flying and a leg for walking. That one small moment where Hiccup attempts to walk for the first time and falls, to have Toothless catch him and help him walk towards the door, I feel speaks a thousands words. Just like Toothless now needs Hiccup to fly, he needs Toothless to walk. And even though I know he will be able to walk by himself in time, I had this inner monologue in my head of Hiccup struggling to re-learn how to walk and Toothless being there for him the whole time, walking him through it (No pun intended.) So this is my interpretation of that. _

* * *

Hiccup hissed painfully as his metal foot caught a rock and started falling towards the cold, hard ground…

Toothless was by his side in an instant, head underneath Hiccup's body before he had time to impact. Carefully, steadily, he raised his rider to a standing position where he painstakingly equilibrated his footing again.

"Toothless, buddy, maybe this isn't a good idea…"

Toothless grunted and shook his head from side to side in disapproval.

Hiccup sighed. "Well, maybe just for today. I'm kind of tired, buddy… we've been at this for a while."

Toothless wasn't buying it. They'd been at it for a total of twenty minutes. That wasn't the Hiccup he knew.

The Hiccup he knew always kept trying.

Gently, he nudged Hiccup's side.

"Toothless!"

Harder, harder, until Hiccup stumbled backwards.

_Walk, walk._

"Toothless, stop!"

_Come on, you can do it._

"Toothless, I'm serious! Cut it out!"

_Just like you taught me how to fly again!_

"Toothless! NO!"

Hiccup fell over. Toothless inwardly flinched as the boy's delicate flesh slid over the rough soil. He smelled the blood before he saw it.

Hiccup's hands jerked away from the ground and he started rapidly rubbing them across the fabric of his shirt.

"Ouch! I got scraped… Toothless, you have to understand: I'm not as able as I used to be. You can't push up against me like that anymore. I don't have the balance for that."

And even though he said it in a completely factual manner, Toothless saw the pang of sadness in his eyes.

The dragon's head lowered in disappointment. Ever since the day Hiccup lost his leg in combat, things had been different. Well, obviously dragons were now accepted in Berk and he was no longer a secret—but things were different with Hiccup, too. He acted distant, lately. He rode Toothless less often and spent more time holed up in his room making blueprints for new legs that he never ended up making. He complained about the ache whenever it rained, whenever he walked, or whenever he didn't have anything better to talk about. And Hiccup _never _complained.

It was a new concept to Toothless—this humorless, empty Hiccup. It saddened him and made him want to make him happy. But he didn't know how to do that.

"Aw, Toothless… stop looking at me like that! I just need a good rest and we'll try it again tomorrow."

Toothless' ears drooped. Tomorrow meant next week and next week meant never. If Hiccup wanted to walk ever again, he needed to show more incentive than that.

Toothless offered his head as support for Hiccup as he stood up.

"Thanks, Toothless." Hiccup smiled. "Uh… where are we going?"

Toothless headed for the beaches.

"Our house is the other way…"

Toothless picked up his speed.

_If you want to go home, you have to walk there yourself!_

"Hey, what's with you?"

Toothless slid out from under Hiccup's hands.

"Wait!" Hiccup stumbled a little and caught himself at the last moment. "Well that's not very nice."

Toothless mimicked the mouth-gesture that Hiccup had taught him when they first met. He learned that it was a symbol of happiness and he wanted Hiccup to know that he was doing this because he cared.

Hiccup sighed, "You are one determined Night Fury."

Carefully, he raised his metal foot. He looked up nervously at Toothless, who beckoned him to move on with his eyes, and took a timid step. The iron squeaked and Hiccup flinched but he rested his weight on the contraption nonetheless. Toothless looked on anxiously. Hiccup took another step, then another, then another… soon he was slowly making his way towards his pet dragon. At each step the Viking boy was looking more and more hopeful… just a little farther…

And the boy was stumbling, struggling to stay vertical but in the end gravity got the best of him and he found himself on top of Toothless once again.

And the hopeful look was gone. Toothless' heart dropped. He wanted his rider to be happy again. He wanted him to walk again. He wanted to fly again…

"This was so much easier when my dad was helping my around…" Hiccup mumbled.

Stoick, along with many other Vikings, had gone on an expedition to neighboring communities to spread the news about the dragons. They needed everyone to know they didn't have to fight anymore. It would be a while until they came back. His father had previously been guiding him around the village so he wouldn't be in too much pain when he walked.

"Odin… who knew it was so hard? I don't know how Gobber does it…"

Toothless decided it was finally time to go home. His rider had been through enough defeat for the day. He started for the house.

"Wait."

He felt Hiccup's hands withdraw from his scales.

"I want to try one more time."

The dragon looked at him in surprise. The old Hiccup was suddenly back again without as much as a warning.

He watched Hiccup's feet warily as they timidly stepped in front of each other, a silent, steady rhythm.

Hiccup smiled, "Look, Toothless."

Toothless trotted around in excitement.

He started moving a little faster. He was almost at a normal walking speed now.

Toothless ran circles around his precious rider.

_Go, go, go!_

Hiccup stumbled but caught himself, and he laughed.

"I can walk!"

The boy began to get out of breath and Toothless was by his side.

"Thanks, buddy."

Minutes later, they were in front of their house and the sun was already set.

"Well, I guess I should settle for the night. See you in the morning, bud."

Hiccup slowly leaned away from Toothless and opened his door. He paused.

Toothless perked his ears at the hesitation. Hiccup turned around again and in an instant the dragon's neck was enveloped in a tight hug.

"Thanks, Toothless," Hiccup whispered, "For not giving up on me."

Toothless closed his eyes. Hiccup never gave up on him, and he'll never give up on Hiccup. Even if it took weeks, he'd be by Hiccup's side the entire time, teaching him to walk again.

"We'll try again tomorrow."

* * *

_Author's Note: So I feel like it's a little rushed, but I wanted to try to fit the whole process into this one attempt. I wanted there to be these stages to re-learning. There is the depression stage, the frustrated stage, the quitting stage, the hopeful stage, and then Toothless brings him into contentment with himself and his new body. So I hope that was evident in there. I also wanted to get it across that at first Hiccup doesn't want to try but after Toothless keeps pushing him and pushing him, all of a sudden he thinks, "Wait, maybe I can do this if I try one more time."_

_Please, if you like, then fav and review! They make my day!_


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